A man from Iraq, self-describing as old but wishing to keep his age anonymous, gave the following testimony to Detention Landscapes while detained at Leros Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC). He had spent either 15 or 17 days in detention at the time of interview. He came to Greece by boat from Izmir, arriving on an island - likely Farmakoniki - where the police arrested him, taking him to Leros. He did not say for how long he was detained before the police transferred him.

He had no bed or mattress - only a sleeping bag - upon arrival at Leros CCAC. He did however have a bed at the time of interviewing, suggesting that this became available after some people had been transferred out of the centre. He described a bed and pillow, making no reference to a mattress, in a room shared with three others. Air conditioning runs 24/7, making the space cold, he said, adding that clothes are given on arrival to women and children, not to men. He reported also people are allowed only to leave the CCAC between 8.30/9am and 9pm.

The man said the toilets are outside and cleaned daily. At one point he referenced there being two toilets, one for men and one for women, and two bathrooms shared by 80 people. At another, he suggested there are six toilets and six bathrooms “in the middle”. There is both hot and cold water and when taps were broken they were fixed after two days, he said.

Food and water is distributed once per day, the man reported. He said he likes the food, mentioning rice, soup, chicken, and bread. Milk is given to children, he added. Water quantity was his greatest concern, with just one big bottle per day given. He needs to drink lots due to his diabetes but the single bottle is not enough, he said. He receives money from the Western Union and can buy additional items, but the CCAC has no kitchen facilities meaning people must buy their own, he said.

The UN operates within the CCAC and Doctors Without Borders come three times per week, he said. Sometimes medicine is available, other times people are sent to buy their own. Antibiotics run out at times, he said, adding that one doctor is responsible for more than 400 people. There is also a psychologist at the CCAC and he has had an appointment with them. He has heard of some cases of other people in the camp self-harming and said he has seen an ambulance arrive twice.

He at one point described the police as “very polite” while at another saying they “talk bad to us”. He also said that the police “put you down” if they have been called by security personnel to break up a fight and their verbal warnings have been ignored.